2008 Woodie Awards
More than this
Fraternity life not all beer, sex, mayhem
Matt Knoche
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Opinion
Fraternities being branded as something menacing is nothing new. Cinema and television have been doing it almost as long as the Greek letter-wearing societies have been around. From Kevin Bacon being paddled in "Animal House" to the new series on ABC Family called "Greek," fraternities have been portrayed as drinking societies. They throw drinking parties, cheat in the world of academia and objectify women.
I have been an active member of the Greek community since spring of 2006. Before I came to Pittsburg State, what I knew about fraternity life I learned from television. But I am not the kind of person who believes everything he sees on TV.
I came to PSU in fall of 2005 and checked out the houses. I had a blast. I met tons of people and mingled with girls in a non-school environment. Some of the houses had pool tables and foosball tables, where I, being a foosball champ, spent most of my time. While hanging out at the houses, the members never pressured me to join. They let me meet their members and hang out with them and see what they're all about.
I decided to rush a house a semester later.
When I first started looking at fraternity houses, I was told to avoid certain houses. Fraternity members at these houses, I was told, "roofied," or drugged, girls at their parties, perhaps then taking them to secret rooms to have their way with them.
But since joining the Greek community, I haven't come across a single case of a girl being drugged. And if that were going on at a fraternity house here, the Internal Fraternity Council would hear about it, investigate and eventually shut that house down. That's why the IFC is in place, to govern the fraternities so things of that nature don't occur. Also, if that were going on, wouldn't there be police reports and lawsuits for people to see?
Most students don't even know what a roofie looks like, let alone where they can find them. You just can't walk into Walgreens and go to the roofie section and pick up a batch for that night's shindig.
I have been an active member of the Greek community since spring of 2006. Before I came to Pittsburg State, what I knew about fraternity life I learned from television. But I am not the kind of person who believes everything he sees on TV.
I came to PSU in fall of 2005 and checked out the houses. I had a blast. I met tons of people and mingled with girls in a non-school environment. Some of the houses had pool tables and foosball tables, where I, being a foosball champ, spent most of my time. While hanging out at the houses, the members never pressured me to join. They let me meet their members and hang out with them and see what they're all about.
I decided to rush a house a semester later.
When I first started looking at fraternity houses, I was told to avoid certain houses. Fraternity members at these houses, I was told, "roofied," or drugged, girls at their parties, perhaps then taking them to secret rooms to have their way with them.
But since joining the Greek community, I haven't come across a single case of a girl being drugged. And if that were going on at a fraternity house here, the Internal Fraternity Council would hear about it, investigate and eventually shut that house down. That's why the IFC is in place, to govern the fraternities so things of that nature don't occur. Also, if that were going on, wouldn't there be police reports and lawsuits for people to see?
Most students don't even know what a roofie looks like, let alone where they can find them. You just can't walk into Walgreens and go to the roofie section and pick up a batch for that night's shindig.
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